Washington, D.C – The American Immigration Council applauds yesterday’s decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding a preliminary injunction against the key provisions of Arizona’s SB 1070. As the court correctly recognized, Arizona’s misguided attempt to drive immigrants from the state interferes with the federal government’s exclusive authority to enforce immigration law, has negatively impacted U.S. foreign relations, and reflects the dangers of allowing states to enact a patchwork of conflicting regulations. The Ninth Circuit also rightly rejected Arizona’s claim that state police have “inherent authority” to enforce federal immigration laws and held that Congress intended state officers to “aid in immigration enforcement only under the close supervision of the Attorney General.”
“The Ninth Circuit’s decision does not discount the serious problems created by our broken immigration system,” said Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council. “However, it confirms what members of the public have long known—that Congress, and Congress alone, has the power to regulate immigration in the United States.”